Archived Fishing Report

Dave Stewart's Fishing Report

Written by Dave Stewart |
Originally published 06/13/2013

Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 360.28 Surface Temperature - 78
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 360.60 Surface Temperature - 78
Both lakes are about one and one half feet over summer pool and are on a slow drawdown. Kentucky Dam has been spilling at an average rate of 107,000 cfs today. Barkley Dam has been generating at an average rate of 17,600 most of the day today.
We had good weather this week although we got our first taste of summer heat this week with two days of heat indexes over 100. A cold front passed through the area early this morning which will cool things off a little as post frontal cooler air comes in behind the front. The frontal passage brought with it some high winds today with lake wind warnings as the anglers that participated in day one of the FLW Everstart Tournament can attest made it tough to fish the main lake areas.
The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 84 and low of 64 with NNE wind at 9. Saturday is looking good with a forecasted high of 90 and low of 71 with S wind at 9. Sunday's forecast is showing a high of 90 and low of 71 with a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms. Next week is forecasted to begin with a high of 84, low of 70 with a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms as another front approaches the area.
The lakes are being drawn down back to summer pool levels after having reached a high water mark of two feet over summer pool due to heavy rains early last week and the TVA holding back water to assist in alleviating the flooding on the Mississippi river.
I mentioned last week that the ledge fishing has been good and this good bite has continued this past week. Even with the high winds today, the first day weigh-in at the FLW Everstart Tournament showed two 5 fish bags over 25lbs and it took over 18lbs to make the top ten.
Just as I mentioned in last week's report, bass are being taken on a number of different techniques including deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, spoons, spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and dragging football head jigs. Again, in my boat our most productive techniques were Carolina rigging, Texas rigging and dragging jigs.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, slow rolled spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken around docks where fish are feeding on schools of fry.
These fish are being taken on senko type baits, shaky heads and skipping unweighted finesse worms under the docks. Some Largemouth are also being taken in the backs of the creeks and bays, especially near vegetation and wood cover. These fish are feeding on schools of fry. Topwater lures, spinnerbaits, square billed crankbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and senko type baits are taking these fish.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake points as well as on old creek and river channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. The fish on the points are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, finesse jigs, tube jigs and Carolina rigged creature baits. The ledge fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs.
I had more reports this week of some nice numbers of Smallmouth being taken at night on the east side of Kentucky Lake fishing rocky points and banks. These fish are being taken on large dark skirted spinnerbaits and tube jigs.
Some productive lures reported this week are: Rebel Pop R in black/silver, Zoom horny toads in white and green pumpkin, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, ABT suspending square bill crankbaits in sexy shad, Bag 5 square bill crankbaits in green gizzard shad, Strike King 5XD, 6XD and 10XD crankbaits in powder blue back with chartreuse side, chartreuse sexy shad and sexy shad, Rapala DT16 in parrot, Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs, Charmer 10.5" ribbon tail worms in plum on Texas rigs, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, Perfect Craw and "oops" patterns, and Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw (all with Venom and Net Baits green pumpkin trailers).
White Bass: White bass are being taken along the old river channel ledges and sunken islands as well as on the humps and ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. Whites are also being taken by trolling inline spinners behind deep diving crankbaits in these areas.
Bluegill: We saw the first good mayfly hatches this week and I had a couple of reports from Bluegill anglers that reported they had some good morning catches around overhanging trees near the mayfly hatches fishing with crickets under bobbers. This is a popular pattern with Bluegill anglers this time of year and even though I did not have any reports of someone working docks near hatches, this is also a productive pattern after mayfly hatches.
Catfish: Channel Catfish are now being taken on the old creek channels in the creeks and bays and also had reports of some good catches on the main lakes old river channels. These fish are being taken on bottom bouncing rigs baited with shrimp and leech combinations and on bottom rigs with cut baits.

More Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports

Now That You're 'Hooked' on Fishing... Come See Us!

If you've dug this deep in our Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley
fishing reports, you are probably just itching to come down and
visit the South's biggest lakes. Get started by finding
that perfect place to stay! Find a
Kentucky Lake cabin
or a Lake Barkley
campground, a full-service
resort or a
marina. Heck,
there are even dozens of
hotels off
the water to choose from!

Don't have a boat? No worries! Bank fishing is
always an option for panfish. But if you're heart is set on
largemouth or smallmouth, you can
rent a
fishing boat at many of our local
resorts!

Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Land Between The Lakes offer a unique vacation experience for everyone! Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley collectively is the largest body of water between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. Here you can enjoy fishing, boating, hunting, eating at great restaurants, and experiencing the numerous attractions of the Land Between The Lakes. The region is located just eight hours from Chicago, three hours from St. Louis and six hours west of the
Smoky Mountains.

Racoons

Photo by Teresa Gemeinhardt

These two brothers are playing hide and seek with the photographer in this picture taken in Land Between The Lakes.